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Is Astral Weeks uniquely unique?

W

Woodface

pfm Member
I don't listen to Astral Weeks very often, as much as I love it you have to be in the mood. I honestly don't think it sounds like anything else in Van's catalogue, he's tried but really it's 'lightening in a bottle'. Also, I am not sure it really sounds like anything else, is it uniquely unique?
 
The only thing I can think of that comes even slightly close is Tim Buckley's 'Goodbye and Hello'
 
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Also lightening in a bottle.
 
Or TB's Happy Sad, lovely languid album, improvisatory in feel although tightly arranged, Tim's voice maturing into a wonderful rich instrument. One connection between the two being that they both feature respected jazz musicians. But they come from slightly different places and I would agree with the proposition of Astral Weeks' unique uniqueness!
 
Is 'Astral Weeks' Van Morrison's 'Kind of Blue'?

Nothing else I have heard by Miles Davis sounds quite like Kind of Blue, possibly because of the Bill Evans influence on that particular recording.
 
Astral Weeks affects me like no other album. Somewhere in the songs I pick up on a longing for something in the past that can never that never be felt again. The way that Van reflects on this and interacts with the musicians leaves me physically and emotionally exhausted. I get the feeling that Van didn't know clearly what he aiming for, but was just acting to distil some kind of emotional turmoil.
 
Snufkin said:
Is 'Astral Weeks' Van Morrison's 'Kind of Blue'?

Nothing else I have heard by Miles Davis sounds quite like Kind of Blue, possibly because of the Bill Evans influence on that particular recording.
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Weirdly the most KOB album is probably 'Somethin' else' by Cannonball Adderley. Having said that I have not listened to it for a while so it could be a false memory.
 
gassor said:
Astral Weeks affects me like no other album. Somewhere in the songs I pick up on a longing for something in the past that can never that never be felt again. The way that Van reflects on this and interacts with the musicians leaves me physically and emotionally exhausted. I get the feeling that Van didn't know clearly what he aiming for, but was just acting to distil some kind of emotional turmoil.
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Last night I listened to half of Astral Weeks & half of 'A sense of wonder'. Very, very different albums linked by a searching kind of spirituality.
 
It's one of my all time fave albums. Agree that it's a "have to be in the right mood" one also!
A great memory for me is a car load of us in my brothers pimped BMW back around 1990 went to a place known as Sheep Wash in the North Yorks moors and stopped by a babbling brook with a rustic wooden bridge over it and my bro played it right through on a very good for the time car stereo with all the doors open while we (ahem) smoked a few phat ones and drank a few cans... We were all transported to that special place Astral Weeks can be when you're definitely in the mood for it, and as it finished, quiet, contemplative, and feeling quite at one with nature/the universe... maybe "the healing" Van sometimes refers to in his lyrics(?).
 
Do not get 'Astral weeks' believe me l have tried, however 'Moondance' l absolutely love.....variety is the spice of life as they say.:D
 
Its the only Morrison album I can listen to , a great album too.

Never had a copy that didn't make my ears bleed though.
 
Arkless Electronics said:
It's one of my all time fave albums. Agree that it's a "have to be in the right mood" one also!
A great memory for me is a car load of us in my brothers pimped BMW back around 1990 went to a place known as Sheep Wash in the North Yorks moors and stopped by a babbling brook with a rustic wooden bridge over it and my bro played it right through on a very good for the time car stereo with all the doors open while we (ahem) smoked a few phat ones and drank a few cans... We were all transported to that special place Astral Weeks can be when you're definitely in the mood for it, and as it finished, quiet, contemplative, and feeling quite at one with nature/the universe... maybe "the healing" Van sometimes refers to in his lyrics(?).
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I listen to it about as often as I do 'a love supreme', completely different but requires a similar mood & preferably with the house to myself.
 
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